My chickens are sooo bored!!

[jen5680]

I mean they have got to be! The weather is total crap and they can't go outside
so they are cooped up all day long inside and I mean how much scratching
around can they do before they go mad! ( Am i refering to myself?? LOL!!)
I tried reading them the book chicken little and they just kept falling asleep.
I tried playing monopoly with them and they would
just take the game pieces and run off. Water sports were out of the
question because the slip n slide keep freezing. Bobing for eggs was
just not working out either! LOL!!!!
I was wondering what there is to give them
that might give them something to do. Other than just eating I
think that that is all there is????
Does anyone else feel this way or I am just alone on this thought?
What do you all do for them?

 

[CoopCrazy]

Try hanginh a head of cabbage in thier run our make them a flock block .. Both of these will keep the busy for a while atleast.. I would even maybe hang some apples too.

 

[jen5680]

What is a flock block????

 

[CoopCrazy]

Hard block made from seeds look in the search feature for "flock block" and you will get some cool recipes.. Mine lovve them and I try to give them one evry other day when we are snowed in..

 

[chickaddict]

I just purchased my first flock block a week ago and they love it.

I tried hanging a cabbage a few weeks ago but the girls wouldn't touch it. In fact they acted like it was poison.



Give them a cat.

I have a 1yr old cat that stalks the chickens daily. The chickens have turned it into a game. He goes into stalking mode and he doesn't think anyone can see him. They know where he is and just when he breaks into a run they surround him. I do have another cat but he won't play with him, so the 1yr old has figured out how to "play" with chickens. The cat has never taken his claws out near the girls he seems to realize that they are pets.

 

[bargain]

Mine like to be sung too...

Old MacDonald's is a fav, closely tied with Amazing Grace and Oh Holy Night when I hit that High note, they add their opinionated voices

 

[MareeZoCool]

Pet stores carry live crickets. maybe you could buy a boxful, then surprise your bored birds with a treasure hunt.

One thing my birds love tp play with is a new bale of straw. I cut & remove the twine, leaving the complete bale for them to scratch and arrange the way they please. They are occupied for the longest time, building nest everywhere.

 

[jen5680]

Crickets!! Thats a great idea !!

 

[curliet]

I have a friend that works in the produce dept of the market that I shop at. He is kind enough to save trimmings and 'stuff' that has gone too bad to be saleable, but good enough for chooks. Sometimes there are heads of lettuce & cabbage, there are collard greens and lettuce, sometimes a few carrots. I also throw in a few whole apples and they play football with them. And I keep a small container in the kitchen to throw scraps into, they get that mixed into the veggies. When it's really cold I give them a scoop of shelled corn to scratch for with some black oil sunflower seeds. Of course this winter they seem to be getting a little of that stuff every day. But I'm careful to balance all this as treats, not as supplements to their regular feed. Rick says that when he goes out early to take care of the quail, the chickens drive him crazy begging for treats. But they know that it's mama who brings the goodies.